1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a weight lifting apparatus comprising a weight lifting bar, and in another embodiment a weight lifting bar and a stand.
2. Background
Leg based weight lifting motions, including squats, lunges and calf raises can be cumbersome, difficult and dangerous when standard free weight equipment is used. Typically, a straight weight lifting bar is used for squats and calf raises. The bar is usually on a rack requiring a lifter to position the bar behind their neck and secure the bar with their hand in a very awkward position. The lifter then steps backward and away from the rack to provide enough room to perform the lifting motion. This is dangerous, as the lifter is stepping backward with a heavy load positioned on their shoulders. In addition, with the weight positioned over the lifters shoulders, any bend of the torso puts a great load on the lifters lower back. Furthermore, when the lifter is done with their set, they have to step back toward the rack and precisely set the bar on pegs to secure the bar. If the lifter tires during a repetition, “rep”, and cannot complete the squat, there is no safe and easy way to remove the bar from their shoulders. Many weight lifters do squats with a high weight to fully stress their lower body muscles including their quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and gluteus maximus for example. Unfortunately, many lifters cut their squats short, not because of tiring leg muscles, but because the heavy weight on their shoulders becomes painful, or their lower back is strained from the position of the heavy weight over their shoulders.
When a weight lifter performs a lunge, they typically use a bar across the shoulders and behind the neck as described for the squat exercise, or they hold dumbells. A lunge motion may put even more strain on the lower back when the weight is positioned over the shoulders. When dumbells are used, they typically are difficult to hold for long periods of time as the hand, wrist, forearms and shoulder become taxed. In addition, dumbells often bang into the lifters legs and particularly their knees when performing lunges.
There exists a need for a weight lifting apparatus comprising a bar that is configured for easy and safe support by the lifter and that is easy and safe to lift from and return to a rack.